Motor-vehicle.



Nu. 681,220. Patented Aug. 27, 190|. B. c. H|c| s.

MUTUR VEHICLE.

v (Application led Oct. 22, 1900.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shut TM: nonms rt'rzns cd. maro-Lune., wAsmnsYon, n.vc,

Patented Aug. 27, l90|. B. C. HICKS.

'MOTOR VEHICLE.

" (No Model.)

Applcation led Oct. 22,-1900.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

l I jing/2251;

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No. 0a|,220. Patented Aug.v 27, 100|. B. C. HICKS.

M0103 VEHICLE.

` (Application led 0ct. 22, 1900.) (No Model.) 3 sheets-sheet 3.

-Nrrnn STATES- lPATENT Prion.

p BOHN `CI-IAPIN HICKS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE HICKS i MOTOR CYCLE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 681,220, dated August 27, 1901. l Application iiled October 22,1900. Serial No. 33,935. (No model.)

T a/ZZ whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, BonN CHAPIN Hicks, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented `certain new and useful Improvements in Motor-Vehicles,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of vehii cles known as motor-vehicles-that is,

vehicles which carry their own propelling force-andparticularlyto the construction of the runninggear and body thereof, allof` which will more fully hereinafter appear.

`The principal object of the invention is to make a simple, economical, and efficient motor-vehicle and provide it with a wagon-body made in two parts-thewagon-body proper, which supports the occupants, andthe bot- 3 tom portionboth of which are independently `and ilexibly mounted ;1 and the invention consists in the features, combinations,and details of construction hereinafter describedV and claimed.

`In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is l a plan view of a running-gear constructed in accordance with these improvements; Fig. 2,`

` a vertical sectional elevation of a vehicle constructed in accordance with my .improvements, taken on line 2 of Fig. l looking in the `direction of the arrow; Fig. 3, a rear end elevaxbottom.

In the art to which this invention relates, and particularly in that class of vehicles f which has electricity as a propelling force, it is `well known that the body portion which supports the occupants also carries the story "4pc age batteries and that the weight of such batteries is in the neighborhood of four or five` hundred pounds.

`the small obstructions or irregularities of the road and which when yielding to large obstructions swingthe body tremendously.

The principal obj ect of the invention there- "p p fore is to make a wagon-body in two parts and `consequent wear of parts. 4this result, a two-part axle f is provided, which plan view, as shown in Fig. l.

`wheels c.

support such parts flexibly upon the runninggear ofr the vehicle, all of which will more fully hereinafter appear.

` In constructing a vehicle in accordance with steered.

` It is desirable that rear supporting-wheels be provided and so arranged as to permit the vehicle to take the undulations or irregulart ties of the road and turn corners in a manner that will minimize the shock or jar and To accomplish issubstantially U-shaped when viewed in The free ends of this two-part axle are pivoted to the main lframe at'g at a point forward of the drivingaxle and between it and the front axle and `to haveindependent rotations or oscillations in the union.

The axle is provided with two side supporting-wheels ,arranged in line with and outside of the central traction or driving It is desirable for various reasons that these wheels be made of larger diameter than the driving-wheel, so as to bring the axes of such Wheels above the axis of the driving-Wheel, but cause it to 'remain in the same vertical plane, as shown 1n Fig. 2. B

this arrangement it will be seen that the front` wheels may have the independent vertical movement of the other three wheels, and the traction and side supporting-wheels have movements in a vertical plane'independent of each other and of the front supporting and ported in an adjustable as well as yielding'l manner upon the rear axle particularly, as

This main frame is IOO well as upon the front axle. In order to accomplish this, it is provided with a spring k and yieldingly supported upon the front axle by' means thereof. The rear of the body portion is supported upon the two-part rear axle by means of the elliptical springs Z, placed at each side of and longitudinally parallel with the body portion. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3 particularly, the connection between the elliptical spring, side su pporting-sprin gs, and body portion is fiexible-that is, the body portion is pivotally connected to the upper portion of the ellipticalsprings on a block 'm by means of a link n, which is pivotally mounted therein, as well as in the lower portion of the wagon-body. This permits a swinging motion ofthe body independent of the spring and at the same time permits an adjustment of these elliptical springs upon the two-part vehicle, it is desirable that as light springs as possible be used, and to accomplish this result the wagon-body is made in two partsthe principal portion j, above described,which carries the seat to support the occupants, and the part or platform p which forms the bottom of the body portion and is inclosed within the same. This independent body portion, as. I prefer to term it, of the wagon-body is yieldingly supported upon leaf-springs q, which are in turn supported upon the driving-axle of the vehicle, so that the springs Z, which support the wagon-body,and the springs which support the bottom portion thereof may be as light as possible and each act independently of the other. The body-bottom is made in two parts, as is clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4, connected together by means of the truss r and the struts s, and, as shown in the figures, separate to such an extent as to permit the central traction-wheel to pass up and between them. This bottom portion, as shown in Fig. 3, supports a set or sets of storage batteries t, though of course it will be understood it can support anything else, such as water-tanks, as may be necessary when used in or about motor-vehicles.

It will of course be understood that as the different parts of the wagon-body have independent motions in a vertical plane there will be considerable rubbing, and to overi come the friction developed by the rubbing of parts orto minimize the same the bottom portion has upwardly-extending sides u, provided with wear-strips o on the outside thereof and arranged to contact antifriction-bearingsw on the body proper, which antifrictionbearings may be composed of balls or rollers, though I prefer to use rollers. As the body portion proper goes up or down in opposition to the movement of the bottom portion, it will be seen that the balls or antifriction-rollers would minimize the friction which would otherwise be developed between the parts.

It is very desirable that the position of the load of the body upon the rear axle may be adjusted to meet various circumstances and conditions. To accomplish this result, the side supporting elliptical springs are adjustably secured to the rear axle, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, by means of clips 0. An inspection of Fig. 2 will show that theseclips` may be moved longitudinally upon the side portions of the two-part axle, so as to span the axes 'of the side supporting-wheels or be placed forward or rearward on the same. In the drawings they are shown as placed to the rear of the axes of the side su pporting-wheels; but it is evident that either of the other two positions may be obtained by merely loosening the clips-aud changing the position of the springs thereon, the body of the vehicle being at all times in pivotal connection with the upper portion of the elliptical springs.

The parts shown and described in this speciflcation, but not claimed herein, are reserved for and intended to be claimed in anapplication or applications to be filed simultaneously herewith, and I do not desire to be understood as abandoning any part or portion of such mechanisms.

I claim- 1. In a vehicle of the class described, a running-gear frame comprising two pivotallyconnected independently-movable portions, a body portion supported thereon made in two parts, one part forming the seat proper and the other the bottom portion and each being independently and yieldingly mounted at one end upon a different independentlymovable portion of the running-gear frame, substantially as described.

2. In a vehicle of the class described, the combination of a running-gear frame comprising two independently-movable portions, a body portion formed in two parts, one the seat part and the other'a bottom part, and spring mechanism independently and yieldiugly supporting the two parts each upon a different independently-movable portion of the running-gear frame, substantially as described.

3. In a vehicle of the class described, the combination of a running-gear, a body portion made in two parts--a seat part and a bottom portion inclosed in and by the seat part, spring mechanisms independently and yyieldingly supporting the two parts of the body portion upon the running-gear, and antifriction roller or ball mechanism between the two parts of the body portion to minimize the development of frictional force, substantially as described.

4. In a vehicle of the class described, the combination of a running-gear composed of a main frame carrying a central tractionwheel and supporting steering-wheels, a supplementary frame carrying rear supportingwheels pivotally secured to the main frame, a body portion formed in two partsone a bottom portion yieldingly supported upon the main frame, and the other containing the seat proper inclosing the bottom por-tion and IOO IIO

` iyeldingly supported upon the supplementary mein frame carrying a" central traction drvframe, substantially as described. ing-wheelend a, front steering-Wheel, ai supzo t l 5. In a vehicle of the class described, the pleinentary frame pivotally secured to the combination of e running-gear formed of a main frame and carrying'the rear side sup- Qnlan frame carrying a central traction driv-V portingwheels, a body portion mede in two ing-wheel and a front steering-wheel, a snpparts-one a, seat portion yielding] y support- A i plementary frame pivotaiiy secured to the ed upon the supplementary frame and the 25 op Linain frame and carrying the rear side supother a bottom portion mede in two parts ini 1l` `powing-wheels, and e body portion made in closed by the seat portion and spanning the x two parts, one a, seat portion yieldingly snpcentrei driving-Wheel yieldingly supported y portednpon thesupplementary frame and the upon the main frame, and antfriction-'bean y g "other a bottom portion made in two parts in ings interposed between the two parts of the 3o n closed by the seat portion and spanning the body portion, substantially as described. l central driving-whee1yie1ding1y supported A f Inpon the `main frame, substantially as de- BOHN CHAPIN HICKS' i scribed. Vitnesses:

y `6. In avehcle of the class described, the THOMAS F. SHERIDAN, `combination of e running-gear formed of e ANNIE C. COURTENAY. 

